A Familliar Feeling
by Zel Nightale
Summary: Demon Lord Beelzemon and Royal Knight Gallantmon were Arch-Enemies. They always fought, and their fight would always ended with a draw. Yet it all changed when Gallantmon disappeared. Beelzemon went after him to settle the continuous fight between them, not knowing what his action would led them both into...Some sort of Prequel to Digimon Tamers, AU.


**Alright, this is some kind of AU prequel of Digimon Tamers, mostly about Gallantmon (Guilmon) and Beelzemon (Impmon). Again, this is an AU and purely fan-made for my own entertainment. Without further ado, read on!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.**

**A Familiar Feeling**

* * *

_A clash of steel._

_The sound of gunshot._

"Is that all you got?!" A resounding yell was heard. The owner of the voice was a black-clad Digimon, styled like a biker, with striking blonde hair, purple mask, and wicked red eyes. He wore a smirk on his face. His name was Beelzemon, the Demon Lord of Gluttony.

Another Digimon steeped out, a white knight, clad in red cape, holding a lance and a shield. His bright yellow eyes stared at the Demon Lord in hatred. His name was Gallantmon, the Royal Knight.

"No," The knight said, "Prepare yourself, fiend!" He yelled, charging at Beelzemon with his lance ready to summon another lighting. He showed no hesitation, he showed no doubt, and so they clashed.

Beelzemon grinned, taking aim at the knight with his guns, "I wouldn't have it any other way!" He yelled back. His guns were always ready, even if not, he could use his claws. He showed cruelty, he showed no forgiveness, and so they clashed.

_A clash of steel._

_The sound of gunshot._

It was a normal occurrence for them. To fight until the death. Yet, in the end, there would be no conclusion. They were just so evenly matched, that their fight always ended in a draw. Never drawing conclusion.

Over and over again, they fought.

Yet neither would yield.

Neither would say that their fight was pointless.

After all, one day, a conclusion will be drawn. One day, one will emerge victorious. One day, one shall lose his life. One day, their constant fight will end.

Until that time comes, they will fight.

It just how it's supposed to be.

* * *

Beelzemon frowned, staring at the scene laid before him.

It was a barren land. Nothing lived there anymore. No village nearby, no Digimon nearby, not even the smallest data-plant. There's nothing as far as eyes to see. Just rocks, dusts, and the barren land.

And that's the problem.

His eyes glazed over again, trying to find what he was looking for. Left, right, up, down, front, back, nothing but rocks and dust, nothing but the barren land. His efforts were useless; what he was looking for was not here. He growled, frustration was clear in his face.

"**WHERE** is **HE**?" He grumbled quite loudly, not like anyone would reply. After all, there was nothing and no one around.

This was different than their routine.

They were supposed to meet here, every single day, to fight to death, like they always do. They would fight to death; they would fight each other, until a conclusion was reached.

Until one dies.

Yet, even if night had fallen, there was no sight of the Crimson-clad white knight. No sight of Gallantmon. There's just him, the Demon Lord of Gluttony, the rocks, the dusts, and the barren land.

This was not how it supposed to be.

Beelzemon growled again, annoyed. Did the knight run away…? No, as much as he hated to admit it, the knight was one of the honorable (And most annoying) Digimon he ever met. And there was no way that he would run away. Something must have happened.

He raised an eyebrow, something definitely did. Gallantmon hated his guts (A sentiment he shared) and would wish nothing but to end his life, to delete him so he won't bring harm any innocent Digimon.

Although he did wonder if that could be said about now. After he met Gallantmon, he rarely goes to raid Digimon village and caused any kind of terror in general. He's been too preoccupied with the knight, and training to finally delete the damn persistent bastard. Said persistent bastard was still unbeatable. The match will always ends in a draw. But they still fought.

Knowing that staying here any longer will do him no good, Beelzemon sat up straight, dusting some of the dust that got into his clothes. He decided to go back, at least for today.

There's always tomorrow.

'_Yes.'_ Beelzemon thought, _'Things would go back to normal tomorrow.'_

Things would go back the way it supposed to be.

* * *

"Lord Beelzemon, I brought news. A village nears the south openly resist the Demon Lord. It is also bad enough that one of the Royal Knight, Omegamon, was protecting said village. What do you purpose we do, sir?" A SkullSatanmon said near him, holding a piece of paper that holds the information.

"Meh, I don't care." Beelzemon lazily said, "Get the others to do it."

"B-But, my lord! This is dire news! As your area of territory, it falls to you to keep them on hold." The SkullSatanmon look like his bones going to fall over into pieces.

That's a thought, just to get the damned thing to shut up.

Beelzemon turned to the SkullSatanmon, his once wicked red eyes now just shows annoyance. It makes the servant squeaked fearfully.

"You look here, **servant."** Beelzemon's eyes narrowed, "I am in a very very bad mood, and you are not helping me. In fact, you make my mood worse than it already has. I suggest you to shut up and stop bothering me about a tiny insignificant village and a knight in rusty armor that I don't give a **DAMN CARE!" **He snapped.

"Y-Yes, sir!" The SkullSatanmon fearfully yelped, before rushing out in a record of time.

Hmp, why did he decide to keep the damn thing again?

Oh yes, because they follow orders so beautifully and was fun to play around. Especially since they're so fearful of their 'Lords'. A source of entertainment, that's what they are.

…Not like he care.

Beelzemon kicked a nearby thing, which happened to be a chair, until it falls over. Oh, he's in a bad mood, alright.

Especially since the damn pineapple-head pull on a disappearing act.

It's been weeks. **WEEKS**. Since he last saw Gallantmon. Oh, he know, he went to the same barren land every single say, like he always do, then sit and **FRIGGIN** wait for the knight to show up. And probably expected him appearing and then hearing him sprouting some nonsense about how he was ashamed that his duty had made him unable to stop Beelzemon's villainous deeds. Things like that.

But he never did.

Gallantmon never shows up.

And it continues.

He waited, waited, waited, and waited. Waited at the very same barren land where they always fought. But he never shows up. Gallantmon had disappeared.

This wasn't how it supposed to be.

And it put him in a bad mood.

The knight **DARES **to pull off something like this when their fight has yet to reach conclusion. Beelzemon would live knowing that he had never beaten a damned persistent Royal Knight! Even if he became the strongest Digimon, he would live with the fact that he always got a draw with that pineapple-head!

So was he supposed to wait here like a sitting duck for him to return and do nothing?!

Beelzemon pauses, a sudden thought occurred to him.

…Why wait?

He grinned, a brilliant idea forming in his mind. That's right, why wait? Why wait here and do nothing when he can just seek the damned knight and beat him up? Why can't he just go out there and kicked his ass?

Genius! Brilliant!

But he didn't know where he should look first… hmm…Beelzemon grinned.

He called out, in a creepy sing-a-song voice, "Oh, SkullSatanmon~ Come here for a sec, would you?" Beelzemon was in a much better mood than before after drawing a brilliantly genius deduction.

The same could not be said for the poor SkullSatanmon.

You couldn't blame the poor guy, he just got yelled by his lord (And threatened to be killed) because Beelzemon was on a bad mood, and then suddenly got called back…to see said lord with the creepiest grin he had ever seen in his live.

The SkullSatanmon was considering retirement. Or suicide.

…It's probably the latter one.

"Y-Yes, sir?" He bowed—no—groveled at Beelzemon, not daring to meet his eyes in fear that he might have snapped his neck. Well, it may be quite a painless way to die…

"I changed my mind." Beelzemon cheerfully declared, still giving the creepy grin.

"I—What? I mean—pardon me, sir?" The SkullSatanmon looked baffled.

"The village to the south." Beelzemon began, remembering what the SkullSatanmon said, "The one that openly opposed the Demon Lord and have a Royal Knight protecting them? I'll go and deal with them." He finished.

"I—err—that is…very great, sir! Thought if I may inquire of your sudden change in mood…"

"No, you may not." Beelzemon replied humorously, "But I suppose I could humor you, I just… saw a different perspective of seeing things. Rather than waiting, pursuing is way better."

"Pursuing…sir?"

"I would appreciate it if you did not ask questions." He paused, "At all." Beelzemon smirked.

The SkullSatanmon squeaked fearfully, "Y-Yes sir! I shall prepare for the journey and the army—" He was cut off by the Demon Lord in front of him.

"Oh, that is not necessary." Beelzemon waved his hand, "I'll take Behemoth and deal with them myself."

"What?! But sir, there's a Royal Knight protecting the place—"

Beelzemon's eyes narrowed, "Are you saying I can't take care of a Royal Knight by myself?" It may be true that his 'rivalry' with Gallantmon was practically legendary among other Digimon, but that doesn't mean that he was weaker than any of the Royal Knight!

It's just that he fought with Gallantmon a lot…and their fights always ended with a draw…

"N-No sir, but—"

"Then it's settled." Beelzemon said, pausing a bit, "Besides, I don't intent to fight him…" He murmured, too low for the other occupant of the room to hear.

"Sir?"

"Anyway." Beelzemon pointed his fingers at the SkullSatanmon, "Inform Lucemon that I'll deal with the Royal Knight and the so-called courageous village in the south. Oh, And do it **NOW**."He ordered harshly.

Another fearful squeak, "Y-Yes, sir!" The SkullSatanmon saluted him, staring anxiously at the door, preparing to dash the moment he was excused.

Knowing that the SkullSatanmon was too obedient for his own good—seeing that the thing, thought fearful, was waiting to be excused—Beelzemon did not hesitate to do just that, "You are excused." He said with an 'I-don't-care' dismissive tone.

Hearing the magic word, the SkullSatanmon dashed to the door.

"Oh, by the way." Beelzemon said, not caring if the SkullSatanmon hear him or not, "If I did not return, tell Lucemon to look for my replacement." He finished evenly, before jumping off the window at the room, whistling to call Behemoth, his loyal companion.

Said motorcycle appeared from out of nowhere, effectively just below Beelzemon's landing spot. The machine blew eagerly, seemingly alive. Riding the demonic motorcycle, the Demon Lord of Gluttony rode off to the village of the south, where the Royal Knight Omegamon lies.

However, the SkullSatanmon did hear him.

He paused, staring at the window where his lord just jumps off, "Replacement? What in the world is he planning?" he wondered to himself. But knowing that he was just but a lowly servant, he knew that there was nothing he could do except to send Beelzemon's message to Lucemon, the leader of the Demon Lords.

For some reason, SkullSatanmon got a bad feeling about this.

* * *

Royal Knight Omegamon frowned, witnessing the scene in front of him with disdain.

Ruined houses in process of rebuilding, fallen trees that block his path, destroyed rock along with scattered rubbles, and the villagers who was working hard to fix all of that, even if they are little in number.

It was all because of Demon Lords. The poor villages that falls under their territory had the 'privilege' of getting raid almost constantly, and most were too fearful to do anything to stop them. Mostly because none of them are strong enough to oppose a Demon Lord.

Few tried, and failed. Even until now, Omegamon mourned for their loss.

"Sir? Are you alright?" A concerned voice snapped him out from his thought, Omegamon turned, finding none other than a WarGreymon staring at him with worry at his eyes.

The particular WarGreymon was the 'tribe leader' of the village they're in now. It was supposed to be a RiseGreymon, but he was deleted during the last raid. The WarGreymon sworn on revenge on his fallen comrade and friend, and that was why the village was openly opposing the Demon Lords.

Omegamon nodded, "I am fine." He said, "I'm just seeing how much harm the Demon Lords have done." He turned his gaze back to the village, so many lives lost…

WarGreymon clenched his claws, "Yes, these have shown to us that the Demon Lords cannot be left as they are. We have lived in fear for long…now; we will fight back, until the end of our lives. For RiseGreymon and for the Digital World." He said, determined.

Gazing quietly at him, Omegamon mused to himself. The Royal Knights had done their best to help those suffering under the rule of the Demon Lords, under Yggdrasill's orders. Even without His orders, they would still help the poor ones. Most of the problems they encountered were the fact that lots of villages fear the Demon Lords so much, that they decided to reject their help, in fear of being attacked because they afflicted themselves with Royal Knights…Not many have the kind of determination the WarGreymon had, and Omegamon must admit that he was impressed.

Demon Lords weren't their only problem. Even without the Demon Lords, there's still a lot of problem to deal. Omegamon's mind wandered off to Gallantmon, his friend and comrade in arms.

His thought was interrupted when he heard a lot of shouting, along with a familiar sound of a motorcycle.

A motorcycle that belonged to a certain Demon Lord.

A quick glance at WarGreymon proven the fact that he also realizes who was coming. Cursing, Omegamon prepared himself for a battle. He expected that the Demon Lord may have attacked soon, seeing that this village opposes the Demon Lords openly. He did not expect for the 'Leader' of the Nightmare Soldiers, an army consist of generally demonic and undead Digimon, to come himself. Lately, Beelzemon had been laying low, and Omegamon had dared to hope that he will not have to deal with the Demon Lord of Gluttony.

The Royal Knight was confident that he can hold him off, but the other soldiers and the villagers…they stand no chance against him. And if Beelzemon also brought his army…Omegamon shudders to think of the lives that will be lost.

Yet, it is not time to dwell in it. The fact remains that the Demon Lord was heading here, and they will had no choice but to fight.

"A Demon Lord." WarGreymon murmured, once again clenching his claws as he prepared to fight, "So soon…." He continued, staring anxiously at the direction the shouting came from.

So soon, so soon indeed, Omegamon agreed.

The whirring of the Motorcycle got louder, until it came into a point where something shot off the sky. The two Mega Digimon stared at the new intrusion as that 'something' landed on the ground. They got into their stance as that 'something' was revealed.

Sitting on Behemoth, was none other than Beelzemon himself, staring at them with a smirk on his face.

"Beelzemon." WarGreymon hissed angrily, tensing. He knew that charging head on will only result in death. He knew that he had to be careful around a Demon Lord, especially one that may have brought his army with him.

Omegamon stepped closer, a glare plastered in his face, "So you have come personally to deal with this 'problem'? I suppose you brought your army with you." His glare intensified, "You Demon Lords love destruction, after all."He said venomously.

"Nope." was his reply as he smirked at them.

The unexpected response took them off-guard, "No?" WarGreymon shouted in disbelieve, "What do you mean by no?! Didn't you come here with your army to deal with us? The village who's been openly opposing the Demon Lords?!" He continued, waiting for answers.

"Officially, yes. But no, I'm not going to do that. Oh, and I come alone. No army, just me." Beelzemon replied as his smirk fall off, "I'm here for a much more…personal reason." He said with a serious tone.

Personal reason? Briefly Omegamon wondered what it could be, before realizing that he is conversing with a Demon Lord that could not be trusted. The Royal Knight frowned, "Why should we trust you?" He questioned.

"You don't." Beelzemon said, "You just tell me what I want to know and I'll leave you alone."

"That's ridiculous!" WarGreymon shouted, "Demon Lords have attacked our village countless of times, and quite recently, you have killed our previous chief! You expect us to answer your question just like that?!" A glare was shot at the Demon Lord.

A thoughtful look entered his face, "True." Beelzemon agreed, "But I haven't been on a raid since…forever, really, so I'm not actually responsible for your chief's death. However, I will not deny I have caused a lot of suffering. And to be honest, I do not care." He huffed, "I want to make someone pay, and until then, other things could wait." He declared.

That sounds like what a Demon Lord would say. Common sense returned, Omegamon got into a stance again, "You honestly think I'm going to let you hurt innocents again? That I will tell you what you want?" He growled.

"Hmm." Beelzemon frowned at him, why are they so hard to convince? "Bah, I have no intention to attack you. All I want to know is Gallantmon's location, is that really hard to tell?" His voice had a sarcastic edge on it.

Another unexpected question left Omegamon staring wide-eyed at the Demon Lord, confusion obviously written in his features. "_**Gallantmon**_?" Omegamon tested, wondering if he had heard wrong, "What is your business with him?" What could have possibly a Demon Lord wanted from a Royal Knight? Especially one who had been…

It was Beelzemon's turn to stare at him in confusion, "What? He didn't tell you that we've been fighting to death for god-knows-long in a barren land?" He said, cocking his head to the side.

"HE WHAT?!" Out of all things, it was not what Omegamon expected. True, his friend always went somewhere at a particular time of a day. Omegamon and the rest of the Royal Knights thought that he went somewhere to train by himself, so they never ask him or follow him. That theory was supported by the fact that Gallantmon was improving quickly, even Alphamon was impressed by his growth.

All this time, he's been fighting one-on-one to death with a Demon Lord?!

"You seriously did not know?" Beelzemon incredulous tone cut in, "My so-called 'rivalry' with him is practically legendary among other Digimon, since the fight always, **ALWAYS**, ended with a draw." He looked annoyed when he said that. "Maybe it's just around the Dark Area, I thought you knew. I thought **EVERYONE **knew." He huffed.

Gallantmon….he fought a Demon Lord and ended the fight in a draw? And more than once?

Finding the information to be very shocking, Omegamon was reduced to staring at the Demon Lord with a blank look, as if looking at him will answer the insanity that was just presented to him.

WarGreymon was more straightforward.

"Ended with a draw?" WarGreymon said in awe, amazed by the fact that a Royal Knight managed to get into a draw with a Demon Lord…before realizing that said Demon Lord was still in front of him. WarGreymon narrowed his eyes, "Why are you looking for him?" He growled.

"To fight him." Beelzemon stared at him like he just asked him a ridiculous question, "What else there is?"

"To…fight him? That's it?" WarGreymon stared back with equal feeling.

"That's it?" The Demon Lord's eyes narrowed, "It's not just 'That's it'! My pride is in line here! How could I, the Leader of Nightmare Soldiers, get a draw on a fight with a Royal Knight?! And more than once?! And that prissy Knight dares to disappear-to-nowhere before a conclusion to the constant fight is reached! I am ANNOYED! ANGRY! I want to defeat him! Why do you think I haven't been on a raid?! It's because I was too busy training to defeat him! And you say, 'That's it'?!" He blow up, shouting loudly.

By this point, all other villagers were gathering, staring at the furious Demon Lord in wonder and amazement, while keeping their distance. They were amazed by the fact that the Demon Lord came alone and made no move to attack them, and curious of what he was speaking with the Royal Knight and their chief.

Of course, they heard his rant.

The villagers begun to whispering to each other over the recent revelation, of Gallantmon's deeds.

The way they see it, Royal Knight Gallantmon had apparently gone into a constant one-to-one fight to death with Demon Lord Beelzemon. The fights always ended with a draw, which apparently annoyed the Demon Lord enough that he had stopped caring about raids and more to defeating the Royal Knight.

Which contributed greatly to them.

"Heck, I even said to one of the lowly minion SkullSatanmon that Lucemon is free to find my replacement if I did not come back! You don't just say, 'That's it'!" Beelzemon continued to rant, oblivious of the gathering (And eavesdropping) villagers. "When I heard about the village, I did not give a damn care. But then, I remembered that there is a Royal Knight here, so I came here to ask him where Gallantmon is." He finished, glaring at WarGreymon.

Whispers began again, this time more exited.

WarGreymon tried to process the new information. As a chief, he has to make a lot of important decisions, but this…"So, you are saying that you willingly leave your post and duty as the Demon Lord of Gluttony to pursue and fight Royal Knight Gallantmon?" He said in a seemingly calm tone.

"Yes." Beelzemon confirmed with a hiss, annoyed, "Now, will you tell me already?" He asked impatiently.

"You're serious?" Omegamon whispered, joining the conversation even if he's still in shock. He had replayed a lot of scenario when encountering a Demon Lord and there is none for this kind, obviously. King Drasil and Alphamon will hear this as soon as they could. To think a Demon Lord willingly leave his duty to fight a Royal Knight…

Beelzemon turned to him, "Are you going to tell me? …Or should I find another Royal Knight to ask?"

Knowing that the recent revelation will no doubt change a lot of things, Omegamon shook his head. There was no harm in telling the Demon Lord. After all, if he did pursue Gallantmon, his chance of coming back was…"No, I'll tell you. But I don't think you'll like it, seeing that you really want to fight Gallantmon." He said with a grim tone, as if remembering something unpleasant.

The Demon lord frowned, "What do you mean?"

Omegamon sighed; he had no intention of letting the secret out, not to this many Digimon, or to a Demon Lord. But since said Demon Lord intentionally seeks him, he had no choice but to tell Beelzemon about Gallantmon's situation, "He's gone…to _OverThere_." Omegamon grimaced.

Gasp can be heard from the villagers and WarGreymon. Beelzemon, meanwhile, just frowned. For some reason, he couldn't remember where he heard it before. Something tells him that it's important, thought.

"_OverThere_?" He voiced his confusion, but Omegamon took it as disbelief.

The Royal Knight nodded, "Yes… We have tried to contact him countless of times….But like every other Digimon that were lost in _OverThere_, our attempt was useless." He look down, depression swelling inside him, "We, the Royal Knights, knew of the awful truth presented to us; that Gallantmon will not come back." His fellow Royal Knight…suffering fate worse than deletion, to be lost in _OverThere_…His friend, gone forever…

"_OverThere_…" WarGreymon echoed in disbelief, "The forbidden place where no Digimon returned after entering…Not even reformed and reborn as new being….A place where a Digimon is lost forever…And even a Royal Knight is lost there…?" He whispered.

Ah, now Beelzemon remembered. Lucemon mentioned about it once and had forbidden the other Demon Lords to enter the place, for even he was not sure about what that place holds. He said something about a bewitching mist and how much dread he felt when he saw the 'border' to _OverThere_.

Logically, at this point, the 'right' course of action was to give up pursuing Gallantmon and informs this to Lucemon; that a Royal Knight is lost in _OverThere_. Undoubtedly, Lucemon would take the information in glee and charge to the Royal Knights' keep with all of his army to defeat them, seeing that they are probably in disarray after losing one of their own.

But, of course, Beelzemon could not care less about the so-called 'leader' of Demon Lords.

"So where is this _OverThere_? How do I get there?" He questioned.

That brings another round of gaps from the villagers, but Beelzemon, who finally noticed them, ignored them in favor of staring and waiting for an answer from the Royal Knight.

Said Royal Knight holds his breath, "You are still going to pursue him?" Disbelief was clear in his voice, "Even after hearing that he is lost in _OverThere_? You are going to risk your live, risk to never return here, to fight him?!" At the end of his words, Omegamon's voice raises.

"Yes." Beelzemon replied.

"Why?!" WarGreymon bring himself to ask, even if he was baffled by the turn of events.

Beelzemon pauses, why? Why indeed. All he wanted is a result, an end to their constant fight, for the fight to finally reach a conclusion. When one asked why, he can only answer;

"Because that was how it supposed to be."

He said it mostly to himself. Yes, because it was how it supposed to be. Until one dies, they will fight. That was how it supposed to be.

Omegamon and WarGreymon look at each other. The Royal Knight and the Chief of the village opposing the Demon Lords are at loss of what to do. When one encounters a Demon Lord, one expected a fight. Definitely not a conversation that did not involved bloodshed or a conversation about getting into _OverThere_. In the end, only one course of action was presented to them.

Omegamon turned his attention back to Beelzemon.

The sound of whirring from the demonic motorcycle was getting far and far away. Beelzemon had kept his word; he did not hurt any of the villagers on his way here or the way away. Most were just in shock. Then again, meeting a Demon Lord did that to you.

WarGreymon turned to Omegamon, who look deep in thought, "What are you going to do now?" he asked, voice visibly shaking.

"Lord Yggdrasill and Alphamon will hear about this immediately." Omegamon muttered, "Out of all things I encountered in my live, this one is the most baffling. All I hope is that I won't end up regretting my decision to tell him about the path to _OverThere_." He sighed, rubbing his head. He seriously needs a break after all of this…

The other Digimon nodded, staring at the road Beelzemon took, "I hope so too." WarGreymon muttered lowly.

Meanwhile, Beelzemon was grinning madly. Who cares that he did not return? It's not like there's anything to do 'here'. His only excitement in life was the raids, and lately it became fighting that damn persistent pineapple-head. Lucemon's warning forgotten, Beelzemon took the path leading to _OverThere_ that Omegamon told him.

He will fight Gallantmon again, and the next time will be the time a conclusion is reached.

Things will go back to the way it supposed to be.

Besides, _OverThere_ might be a fun place.

* * *

"What DID you SAY?!" A furious yell echoed across the land as the poor SkullSatanmon trembled against the furious leader of Demon Lord, the Demon Lord of Pride, Lucemon Chaos Mode.

Braving himself once more even if he wanted to do nothing more but to run far **FAR** away, the SkullSatanmon repeated Beelzemon's message, "L-L-Lord B-Beelzemon s-said that y-you c-could look for h-his replacement if h-he did n-not c-come back." He shuttered VERY fearfully. Dealing with Beelzemon was one thing; dealing with Lucemon was ANOTHER thing.

For once, he had shorter temper.

And more cruel, and more mean, and more selfish, and…you get the point.

Lucemon narrowed his eyes, "And WHY did he said THAT?!" He yelled again, glaring daggers to the SkullSatanmon, who squeaked fearfully again. If look could kill, he would probably already died a thousand times.

"I-I-I don't know, s-sir!" The SkullSatanmon said truthfully.

Of course, that did nothing to please the Demon Lord of Pride.

Just as Lucemon prepared to strike (Read: Kill) the SkullSatanmon, Lilithmon stepped inside, lazily rolling her eyes at the scene presented to her, "Maybe he's off to settle things with the Royal Knight he's been fighting with in that barren land." She put in.

"That's just a rumor." Lucemon snapped at her, ignoring the SkullSatanmon who was shooting a graceful look at Lilithmon, "There is no way that a Royal Knight, a _single_ Royal Knight, get a draw with a Demon Lord. You know that we Demon Lords are powered up by our crest, making us stronger than Royal Knights in general. It would take more than one of those peace-loving fools to par with our strength. To get a draw? Impossible. It's just a rumor that must be spread by some hopeless Digimon with a dream too high to reach." He leaned back to his seat, crossing his arms.

"Lots of Digimon believed it, thought." Lilithmon replied, taking a seat across the other Demon Lord in the circular table mainly used for meetings and discussing raid plans, "Some said that the Demon Lords have gotten… **weaker**." Far from annoyed by the fact, Lilithmon was smirking at Lucemon.

"THEY WHAT?!" the Demon Lord of Pride banged the table angrily, nearly splitting it to two; "I'll KILL whoever SAID THAT!" He yelled again.

"That would be problematic." Another voice entered the conversation, "After all, nearly all half of our armies believe it." The voice added, ignoring the fact that he just made Lucemon more furious by saying that.

"HALF?! HALF of them believe this ridiculous rumor?!" Lucemon shouted, furious.

"Really? I didn't think it was **that **many. I suppose you did your research, Barbamon?" Lilithmon inquired, thought her voice seems disinterested.

"Yes." Barbamon replied shortly, sitting on an empty seat near where SkullSatanmon standing (Who immediately scampered away), ignoring Lucemon as he elaborated his answer, "After I caught wind of it, I have been 'asking' around the army. I got lot of weak-minded fools who believe it. The thing I'm concerned about is the fact that I can't seem to find the source of the rumor." He huffed, "One thing I wonder is why the rumor is about Beelzemon, who could be considered one of the strongest Demon Lord. I did come up with a theory, thought." He added 'helpfully'.

Lucemon, even if he's still furious, was also curious of what Barbamon have to say, "Elaborate." He ordered him.

A brief flash of annoyment entered his face when Lucemon ordered him, but Barbamon did elaborate, "I think it because Beelzemon possessed the largest army than any of us. Also, the Nightmare Soldiers are admittedly much more better trained and could be considered as the strongest army in our ranks. That's why if it's true that their leader, Beelzemon, got a draw with a Royal Knight, meaning that he is, put it bluntly, too weak to defeat a single Royal Knight, the morals he has as their leader will take a drop. Without the strongest army to support us, the Royal Knights have slight advantages." He explained.

"And they are stupid enough to believe it? Too stupid to consider this possibility?" Lilithmon's amusement was clear.

"I did some research on that." Barbamon replied, "It turns out that they believed it because Beelzemon has been acting oddly."

"Oddly?" Lucemon raised an eyebrow, "Ha! Telling me to look for his replacement if he did not return is already odd enough. I think I need to put him on his place for daring to tell me something like that!" He resolved angrily.

Barbamon turned to Lucemon, "He did?" Confusion was clear, "The one I heard is about how he hasn't been on raids recently and seems to go somewhere a lot alone." He said.

"Ooh!" Lilithmon called up excitedly, drawing their attention, "Maybe he got a lover!" She had a wicked grin plastered at her lips.

Both Lucemon and Barbamon blanched, "Seriously? A lover?" Lucemon muttered in disbelief, anger long gone.

"I think not." Barbamon convinced them, "He sometimes went back with wounds covering his body. I suspect that he just went somewhere to train alone. We did that a lot, right? And Beelzemon **is** a power-hungry fool."

"Or maybe his lover likes to play rough…" Lilithmon trailed off.

"We are not talking about this." Lucemon firmly said.

"But my theory has a merit!" Lilithmon whined, "All this time, he's been meeting up with his lover all alone because he did not want to be interrupted or anyone to know. He's been too busy with her that he has no time to go to raids, and then he tell you to look for his replacement because he wants to elope with her! Or maybe she got into some kind of danger and he seek to save her and then confess his undying love to her—"

"Stop." The guys groaned, "Stop, just stop."

Lilithmon huffed, crossing her arms as she turns away in annoyment, "You guys are no fun." She complained, "Bunch of loveless freaks…" She muttered.

"Ignoring Lilithmon's ridiculous 'theory'," Lucemon began, addressing Barbamon, "You are basically saying that Beelzemon was just being his power-hungry self and **someone** took advantage of it and spread rumor about how he got a draw with a Royal Knight, is that right?"

The Demon Lord of Greed nodded, "The way I see it, it's either that or the rumor are true, which is equally ridiculous as Lilithmon's theory." Barbamon replied, gaining a glare from Lilithmon, which he ignores.

Lucemon frowned, "Why did he tell me to look for his replacement, thought? It doesn't add up." He wondered, thinking it over. Finding a replacement for a Demon Lord was impossible, since there was only one Demon Lord, unless they're reborn. Saying 'finding replacement' was more like 'find me when I am reborn'. There **were** lots of Digimon with the same evolution line as Demon Lords, but only one could evolve into a Demon Lord, for each one. That's why they're special.

"True. Maybe there's a factor we've been missing…" Barbamon also thought it over.

"A lover." Lilithmon whispered.

Before either Lucemon or Barbamon could say anything against that, a FlaWizardmon barged into the room suddenly, taking all of the current's occupant attention, "Sir, there is a distressing information that you must know immediately!" Unlike SkullSatanmon, the FlaWizardmon did not tremble upon the presence of the Demon Lords.

The mood turned serious, "Speak!" Lucemon bellowed.

FlaWizardmon did not hesitate, "It's about Lord Beelzemon, sir! He was sighted heading to the Forbidden Area! Reports say that he ignored the guards we posted around there, too! At this rate he will enter the Forest of Lost Souls!" He quickly informed them.

The information left them speechless, "Forbidden Area? Forest of Lost Souls?! What is he thinking?! That place leads to _OverThere_!" Lucemon shouted, "I thought I had made it clear that no one may enter _OverThere_!" His own experience had told him enough; that place was not one that should be messed with.

"Is he out of his mind?!" Barbamon also shouted. He never went anywhere closer to the path that lead to _OverThere;_ but Lucemon, _Lucemon_, the Demon Lord of Pride who would never admitted his fear had given them a warning. That alone gave them enough insight of what lies in _OverThere_. He shuddered when he thought about the unspeakable evil that may lies there.

Lilithmon frowned, her once playful attitude had melted. "Why is he there? Did he want to disappear…?" She muttered. She might not like him, but Beelzemon was her comrade, her fellow Demon Lord. One of the very few that she could speak intelligently to without drooling at her.

"We do not know his reason; but before that, Lord Beelzemon was dealing with a problem at the Village that lies in the South near his territory." FlaWizardmon put in, still distressed.

"Ah! That's right—there is a Royal Knight present at that place! He told me that he will go alone without any of the Nightmare Soldiers…" The SkullSatanmon said, before realizing his mistake. He clamped his mouth shut, but the harm had been done.

"And what's this about? You did not tell me this! Tell me now, and make it quick before I lost my temper!" Lucemon glared at him.

As expected, the cowardly SkullSatanmon squeaked in fear, "I-I was about to, but y-you got a-angry before I c-could tell you that p-part—forgive me, sir!" He proceeded to grovel upon the Demon Lord.

"Enough! Losing temper will get us to nowhere. SkullSatanmon—tell us more about Beelzemon's mission before he decided to go to _OverThere_!" At normal circumstances, Barbamon would not defy Lucemon. But now was hardly normal, and they might ended up with one less Demon Lord if they're not quick enough.

"Y-Yes, sir! When the information came in, I immediately went to Lord Beelzemon. He shown no interest in dealing with the problem and drive me away. He seems to be in bad mood when he did that." SkullSatanmon nervously recalled.

"And then?" Lucemon impatiently demanded, "What makes him change his mind?"

"I-I do not know, sir. Later, he called me back and announced that he will deal with the problem. His mood changed so much that it's creepy…" The SkullSatanmon whispered the last part, "And—ah—I remember! He mentioned something about how pursuing is way better than waiting…"

"Pursuing?" Lilithmon voiced.

"But he threatened to delete me when I inquired about it…" The Virus Digimon finished.

"In the end, we got no lead of his reason." Barbamon look annoyed when he said that, glaring at the poor SkullSatanmon who went back to groveling.

"We do not know for sure if Beelzemon knows where he is heading to…He did not know about the path that leads to _OverThere_. To my knowledge, only Lucemon knows." Lilithmon make a logical input. It seems that she want to add another thing, but held back as Lucemon replies.

Narrowing his eyes, the Demon Lord of Pride turned to FlaWizardmon, who had a worried look etched in his face. The cause of the worry is clear; after all, the FlaWizardmon was a member of the Nightmare Soldiers, the very army that Beelzemon leads. The whole fiasco had left him worried about their leader's fate. He_ was _just a lowly rank soldier, but he was loyal to the Nightmare Soldiers.

A fact that Lucemon take advantage of, "FlaWizardmon! Rally all of the Nightmare Soldiers! Tell them that their leader is in a difficult position right now! Tell them to go straight to the Forest of Lost Souls before Beelzemon! Catch him before he enters the Forest! Hurry, before it's too late!" Lucemon ordered him.

FlaWizardmon look startled that he was given such important order. But as a loyal dedicated soldier he was, he immediately recovers. He bowed to the Fallen Angel, "Yes, sir! We will try to catch Lord Beelzemon before he enters the Forest of Lost Souls!" A firm, determined tone answered Lucemon. Without many words, FlaWizardmon exited the room, heading to where his comrades usually gather.

Barbamon did not complain at the course of action Lucemon decided to take, in fact, he seemed to agree, "I did not know that forest leads to_ OverThere_. I know that you assigned some soldiers to patrol around it, but I never see the reason…until now, that is." He inquired, "But to catch him before he enters it…can they really do it? Beelzemon did have Behemoth with him…"

"I hided it for a reason." Lucemon snapped, "And all we can do is to wait for the news. If Beelzemon really did not come back…then I guess we have one less Demon Lord."

"You seem nonchalant about this." Lilithmon commented.

"It's not like I can do anything." He answered, glaring at her, "If he want to throw his life away, then I can do nothing but to accept it; especially since he decided to go to _OverThere_ despite my warnings. What I am annoyed about is the fact that if he really went there, then I can't find his replacement since those who goes there will never be reborn. This certainly put dent to my reign of power." He huffed; annoyment is clear on his face.

Barbamon rolled his eyes, "Be thankful that the Royal Knights would have no way in knowing this; if they know, I have no doubt that they will be celebrating." He dryly commented.

If only he knew…

"I suppose…" Lucemon muttered.

While the two were in a serious discussion about Beelzemon's fate, they did not notice as another wicked grin entered Lilithmon's face, until she begun to speak, that is, "Ohh—I got another theory!" She proclaimed, giving a mischievous smile.

"What?"

"Not again…"

Lilithmon grinned as she continued, "I think Beelzemon really **does** have a lover! That lowly minion whats-his-name mentioned something about pursuing, right? I think Beelzemon is pursuing his lover! I think it goes like this; Beelzemon mysterious lover suddenly vanished one day without telling anyone. That got his mood down really bad. But then, he was suddenly stricken with a great idea! Instead of waiting for her, he decided to pursue her! In that course of journey, he came across some believable information that his lover is in _OverThere_, or in the Forest of Lost Souls. So, he head there to meet his lover! Well, isn't it a great theory?" She asked them as a dreamy look enters her face, "And then after being reunited, they'll walk off to the sunset and live happily ever after. Then, they'll get married and—"

"Ridiculous." Lucemon commented, cutting her off.

"You read too much fairytale. Have you been to Human World recently?" Barbamon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey! Fairy tales are awesome! And no, unfortunately. I don't think I can pass off as a visiting Digimon. I am, after all, a Demon Lord." She proudly proclaimed.

"You sure don't act like it…" Barbamon muttered under his breath.

Unfortunately for him, Lilithmon heard him.

"What did you SAY?! Repeat that to my face you old man!" The Demon Lord of Lust furiously demanded.

"Old man?! OLD MAN?! YOU did NOT just call me OLD MAN!"

"HA! I'll say it again and again. OLD MAN, OLD MAN, OLD MAN!"

"I'll **KILL **you!"

"Just try it, OLD MAN!"

"GRAAHHH!"

"HYAAAHH!"

The sounds of attacks being called followed Lilithmon's and Barbamon's argument. Lucemon face-palmed, frustration showing in his face. One second, they're all serious dealing with Beelzemon's problem, and the next moment, he's all but forgotten as they got into an argument and were currently going for each others throats. Why was he their leader again?

"Why can't I get a much more decent Demon Lords to rule…?" Lucemon muttered unhappily as he watched the two Demon Lords practically destroyed the room.

At the corner of the room, SkullSatanmon sneaked away carefully. He dodged a Dark Inferno that got too close for his liking as he ran straight towards the exit with a sense of a new-found freedom.

Screw not being excused! He's not going back to serve a bunch of psychos like them!

* * *

The thick mist and the bushy forest was all the proof he need to prove that he had arrived at his destination.

Looking at the scene shown before him, Beelzemon analyzed the area. True to what Lucemon said, there's mist all over the place. And even he could feel that the mist was not normal. Somewhat…bewitching. It seems that the Royal Knight was telling the truth about this forest being the 'entrance' of _OverThere_.

Getting off from Behemoth, he tried to look for the path. Unsurprisingly, he found none. Really, why did he even expect that there's a path in such place? It seems that all he could do was to enter the forest and hope he will arrive at _OverThere_.

He glanced at Behemoth, who was seemingly staring at him.

"You know what I will do, right?" He knew his motorcycle was smart. After all, it has its own mind. It can draw conclusion by itself, especially since it heard the conversation between him and Omegamon.

The engine roared, almost sadly.

Beelzemon gave a sad smile. Behemoth has been with him for a long time, nearly right after he evolved to Mega and became a Demon Lord. It was always there for him, a part of him. And that is why he will leave it 'here'. He can't force it to come with him to _OverThere_, where he wasn't even sure of what he will face.

He knew that it was selfish of him, but he didn't want Behemoth to get involved in this.

"I'll miss you." Sadly, it was true. Out of all things 'here', Behemoth would probably be the only thing he miss; not his army, the Nightmare Soldiers, not the other Demon Lords, and not even the days he spend ordering people around.

It gave a resigned, but filled with encouragement sound.

Turning his back to the motorcycle, Beelzemon muttered a 'Thank you' before once again glancing at the misty forest.

It was time.

"Lord Beelzemon!"

A voice interrupted his inner monologue. Beelzemon whirled around, spotting—when he squint his eyes—none other than some of the 'high-ranked' members, the leaders and generals, of the Nightmare Soldiers. Confusion filled him, what are they doing here?

Suddenly, realization struck him.

They came here to take him back, possibly because Lucemon ordered them.

His offhand comment—about finding replacement—and his 'talk' with the Royal Knight probably had spread out. And not to mention that there are patrols around this area—at least he think there was—whose duty was to watch this place for no apparent reason, assigned by Lucemon.

Well, now he knew why the so-called leader decided to do that.

Back to the situation, Beelzemon frowned as they approach. He can't actually turn back now. Not when he's this close to find Gallantmon and resolve their fight. But it was against his code to attack a Digimon weaker than him, or even a Digimon **loyal **to him. Maybe he can order them to go back… But then again, they're probably won't be keen with the idea that their leader was going to _OverThere_.

Before he could comprehend what was happening, Behemoth roared to live and charged to the direction where his subordinates were. Beelzemon's eyes widened—it can't be! Is it really actually going to…?!

The screams and exclamation of shock confirmed his suspicion.

Beelzemon clenched his teeth. Behemoth—loyal even until the end. He could even hear it seemingly saying, "GO NOW! I'll hold them off!" as it rampaged among his subordinates.

"Your sacrifice will not be in vain." He muttered.

With that said, the Demon Lord of Gluttony turned his attention back to the forest entrance. Bracing himself against the unknown, he entered the Forest of Lost Souls. Almost immediately, the mist rolled to surround him and block his vision.

But he did not yield, he did not turn back.

It was time.

It was time to make things go back to the way it supposed to be.

* * *

Somewhere else, a man opened his eyes. He stared at the new intrusion, another Digimon who was foolish enough to enter the Forest of Lost Souls. He stared in scrutinization at the Digimon, raising an eyebrow in surprise as new information filled him in.

"A Demon Lord…?" His tone was full of wonder, surprised to see such 'Big Shot'.

Why was he here? After the 'warning' he gave Lucemon, leader of Demon Lords, he thought that the Fallen Angel Digimon will not let one of his own to go here. Was he here to investigate the 'disappearances'? Or was it something else?

The man gazed at Beelzemon for a little while longer before coming to a decision.

It didn't matter if this particular Digimon was a Demon Lord. He was a Mega, and the man would need all help he could get to subdue _**it**_. Even if he had to risk the chance of the Demon Lord causing chaos. _**It**_ was much more destructive. _**It**_ was much more dangerous.

Finally coming to a decision, the man gestured for the 'little ones' to lend him their help to send Beelzemon to _OverThere_, to lead him to the 'entrance'.

He was answered by giggles, their usual response.

The 'little ones' get to work immediately, while the man stared at the sky with a look of longing. Lately, he's becoming more and more tired. It was probably due to the stress he experienced to keep 'this' world from falling apart, particularly by _**it**_.

Who knows, maybe he will sleep when it's all over.

* * *

**I'll cut off here. Next chapter will cover about the **_**OverThere**_**, along with Beelzemon's encounter with Gallantmon.**


End file.
